PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- Pfizer says an early peek at data from its experimental two-dose vaccine trials suggests the shots may be 90% effective at preventing COVID-19.
The announcement doesn't mean a vaccine is imminent. The interim analysis, from independent data monitors, looked at 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people.
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Pfizer did not provide any more details about those cases, and cautioned the initial protection rate might change by the time the study ends. Pfizer is nearing the end of two months of monitoring those thousands of subjects who have received the vaccine.
The drugmaker says it hopes to have complete results from those trials as early as the end of next week and into the FDA’s hands by the end of the month. Working with a German partner, BioNTech, Pfizer says it will seek emergency use authorization from the FDA for the vaccine.
KYW Medical Editor Dr. Brian McDonough says it’s a huge development, but it’s essential that everyone still follow all the rules for now.
“That means social distancing, wearing masks, that sort of thing," he said. "And it’s going to take a while. I mean, this is a two-dose vaccine, even if it’s ideal. So it’s going to take a while to get it out in the community.”
He says it could be 30 to 60 days before the first doses are released, and they would go to emergency personnel on the front lines.
He says one of the most important steps, after a vaccine is approved, is to get the general public to buy in.
"In order for a vaccine to be effective and to gain what they call herd immunity, you have to make sure that people get the vaccine and that they believe in it. If people don’t get the vaccine, if they don’t take it, then there is still a lot of that natural virus kicking around out there which could be obviously a big problem.”
Pfizer gave no timetable on when it hoped to begin mass distribution of the vaccine.